VW to launch 10 green cars in China by 2018

VW to launch 10 green cars in China by 2018

Volkswagen Group plans to introduce 10 electric and plug-in hybrid models in China by 2018 to strengthen its presence in the market.

The Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, has already arrived in Chinese showrooms. Later this year, the automaker will launch two electric cars, the Volkswagen e-Up and e-Golf, the company announced recently at the Beijing auto show.

Volkswagen also plans to introduce two other plug-in hybrids in China next year: the Audi A3 E-tron and the Volkswagen Golf GTE.

All of the vehicles will be imported from Germany.

In 2016, VW China will introduce plug-in hybrid versions of the Audi A6 plus an unspecified “new mid-sized limousine” tailored for the market. Volkswagen’s joint ventures with China FAW Group Corp. and SAIC Motor Corp. will assemble the models.

VW Group also plans to launch a Bentley plug-in hybrid in China.

China’s central government offers incentives ranging up to 57,000 yuan ($9,200) for an electric car, and 33,250 yuan for a plug-in hybrid. Conventional hybrids do not qualify for government subsidies.

In the first quarter of this year, VW Group sold 880,700 vehicles in China, up 15 percent year-on-year. The company aims to sell 3.5 million vehicles in the market this year after sales of 3.27 million in 2013.